A Very Private Agent
by KESwriter
Summary: The team is suspicious of their mysterious new leader after Hotch's sudden promotion. They'll need to learn to trust each other in order to face new challenges and threats.
1. Chapter 1

The team is suspicious of their mysterious new leader after Hotch's sudden promotion. They'll need to learn to trust each other in order to face new challenges and threats.

Not my best summary but it will due for now. Don't worry, I haven't given up on my other many stories. This one popped into my head and I am so excited about it!

It is a subtle crossover. Whoever can name the show first gets their name featured somewhere in the story.

Rated T for violence.

A Very Private Agent

Chapter One:

Hotch began to put his things into boxes. Rossi knocked on his open door.

"Well this is a sudden, if pleasant development."

"The pentagon was desperate to have Cruz back," Hotch said. "He was more than happy recommend me for the position. He said it was well-earned."

"It is indeed Aaron. Any idea who new unit chief will be?"

"I know they're hiring someone from outside the BAU," he said. "From where I don't know."

"Well at least Alves has fit in nicely, hopefully our new team leader will also."

Hotch pulled out his bottle of scotch. "Give this to the new leader when he comes in. My welcoming gift to him."

Rossi looked at it carefully. "That is one fine welcoming gift," he said and took it.

He finished packing up. "It there a last-minute farewell party in the conference room for me?"

"What do you think? We're all going to miss you!"

Hotch patted him on the shoulder. "I'll only be down the hall."

"It will feel much longer soon enough my friend."

Rossi put the scotch in his office and they walked to the conference room together.

…

There were as many tears as there were toasts to his good fortune. Garcia printed out a restaurant gift card for him from all them to guarantee that they would feast together again soon. There were also many hugs and handshakes and Hotch was slowly becoming overwhelmed by it all.

Garcia insisted on helping Hotch move his things into his new office. She made sure to arrange a team photo so that it was in his line of vision all of the time. She hugged him one last time before leaving him.

Hotch briefly sat down behind his new desk and wondered about his replacement. Would he be the mentor Reid needed? Would he be the friend Rossi could share a drink with from time to time? How will he react to Garcia's endless optimism? How different will his leadership style be? All he could hope for was that he was the leader the team needed.

Hotch looked around and realized how content he felt. A nine-to-five job for Jack with less stress. He could not ask for more. A new chapter in his life was beginning and he could not wait to see where it led.

…

Rossi arrived a little earlier than usual to see if their new leader might do the same. His suspicions were correct when he saw a light on in the office. He went into his own and pulled out Hotch's bottle of scotch before walking over.

He softly knocked on the door.

A man a few inches shorter than Rossi with spiky brown hair appeared. He was wearing a finely cut suit.

"Hello Agent Rossi," he said formally and offered his hand. "My name is Agent Harrold Riley. I come from the undercover unit at cybercrimes. You may call me Harrold or Riley whichever you prefer."

Rossi shook it. "It is a pleasure to meet you Harrold. Feel free to call me Dave or Rossi."

He held out his welcoming gift. "From the former boss to the new one."

Riley regarded it briefly before taking it. "How very thoughtful of him. I'll be sure to send my regards sometime soon."

Rossi looked at the colorful paintings already covering his walls.

"They were created by wife, an artist," Riley said. "She insisted that I bring some of her most 'cheerful' paintings to adorn my office with."

"Smart woman," Rossi said. "This job can get awfully dark."

"I don't doubt that Dave," he said.

Riley continued to put things and drawers and Rossi took the hint that he should leave.

"I'll see you later boss," Rossi said.

"Likewise Dave."

Rossi was partially out the door when Riley called out:

"I know you must have many questions about me and my background Agent Rossi. You will find out more about me in due time. But you should also know that I am a very private person."


	2. Chapter 2

Quiz time again! The city I mention in the chapter fictional but I did not come up with it. Where does the name of the city come from?

Also you do not need to know anything about Person of Interest to enjoy this story. It will all be explained in time. I do feel the urge to mention that I deeply loved the show and I cried when it ended.

Chapter Two:

 _So who is Harrold Riley?_ Garcia thought as she entered her office. She had managed to pull out as much data from home. He was from an undercover unit in cybercrimes which didn't explain much as she had never heard of there being and undercover cybercrimes unit. She'd have to do more digging from her computers at work.

She was assessing cases when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find Harrold Riley waiting for her.

"Penelope Garcia," he said with a slight smile. "I'm Harrold Riley, your new unit chief though I suspect you already knew that."

Garcia didn't know what to say. She hadn't even said a word and she was already in trouble!

"At ease Garcia, I'm something of a hacker too," he said warmly. "I highly value curiosity and innovative thinking. But you will have a hard time finding out much about me. I am very careful about how I share my personal information."

"Understood Sir," Garcia said as she stood up. They shook hands.

"Now I'd like to go over which cases need our most direct attention…"

…

Reid, Alvez, and J.J. did their best to try to stay busy while not staring up into their new boss's office. They made small talk and finished paperwork. At precisely nine-thirty they received a text saying they were needed in the conference room.

Rossi, Reid and J.J. found Riley and Garcia in the conference room waiting.

"Hello," he said once they were all seated. "My name is Harold Riley. I come from an undercover unit in cybercrimes. I know that is not much to go on but I do believe we'll get to know each other in time. Garcia would you care to start?"

"There have been a series of murders in Platinum Flats California. Someone is abducting and killing software developers."

She passed out folders of information and turned on the monitor. Three pictures appeared of men in their late twenties of different ethnicities. Riley nodded to the screens.

"The three victims were found in three different parks," Riley said. "Each victim was abducted and disposed of in the span of approximately forty-eight hours. The cause of death is a tranquilizer intended for large animals but lethal for humans. The police are looking into any and all veterinary offices where the drug might have been kept."

Rossi was looking at dates. "Why did it take so long to contact us?"

"The first victim was initially assumed to be a suicide," Riley said.

Reid looked at the medical examiner's report. "No obvious signs of physical trauma. The lethal injection was to the neck."

"So what was the UNSUB doing to them during that time?" J.J. asked.

"That is what we're going to Platinum Flats to find out," Riley said. "We'll be departing in thirty minutes time."

…

Rossi noted that Riley's go bag was of the same high-quality as his suit with an element of refinement different from his own.

Once everyone was situated and the plane was in the air Riley asked:

"Dr. Reid would you care to give the profile of Platinum Flats?"

Reid looked surprised to be asked but quickly obliged:

"With a population of fifty-two thousand, it is located between San Francisco and Los Angeles and the home of some of the largest technology firms in the country. It is also known being a hub for developing eco-friendly design for things ranging from cars, to homes, to clothing. The average age for this population is below fifty but with few families of two or more children. There is a wide range of ethnicities located within the community."

Riley nodded. "It sounds like a utopian paradise doesn't it? A place to explore one's greatest dreams for a better world. But we all know that it is merely a façade. There is no such thing as a perfect community and it is up to us to explore the deepest, darkest cracks."

Garcia suddenly appeared on the screen of Riley's tablet. "Sir, another man has been abducted. Marvin Hastings. He was out for a jog when his wife reported he never returned and had watched the news about tech developers getting kidnapped."

Alves flipped through the file. "He's the first victim with a spouse, everyone else lived alone."

"That means the UNSUB is growing more confident and willing to take more risks," J.J. said.

"Time is truly of the essence then," Riley said. "Thank you Garcia. Please email us the rest of the information you have."

"Yes sir," Garcia said and the monitor went blank.

Riley looked around. "I wish we had a white board in here in times like this. Let's discuss the most pressing questions. Who would like to start?


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the support. I am trying to write in an episodic style but the writers of the show make it look easy. No guesses as to where Platinum Flats is from? Hint: I'm a comic nerd.

Chapter Three:

Alves and Rossi walked the path where Hastings was abducted:

"So how do you guys to do this?" Alves said. "Walk a mile in their shoes?"

"Something like that," Rossi said. "We have to assume, the UNSUB is mobile like in a van of some kind."

"A utility van would go unnoticed in this area, but how does he lure them in? With a weapon?"

"That is my best guess. 'Come in or I'll shoot.'"

"How does he make them stay?"

"A mild sedative to the neck maybe?" Rossi suggested.

Alves looked around. "For a high-tech town it doesn't have a lot of cameras anywhere."

"It is still suburbia. People value their privacy and don't think anything like this can happen to them."

"True," Alves said.

Rossi pulled out his phone. "I'm going to call J.J. to see if the M.E. found any other sedatives in their systems. Then it's to the dump sites." He groaned. "How'd I get stuck doing all the legwork?"

"It is what the boss wanted," Alves said with a smile.

…

"There is an interesting mixture of toxins in their systems," the medical examiner said. "The first is sedative, like your partner suggested then a high dose of caffeine."

"So the UNSUB wanted them awake after he abducted them," J.J. said. "To do what?"

"There is restraint bruising across the ankles, torso and forearms."

"The UNSUB wanted their hands to be free," she said and looked at the hands. There were no cuts or scars.

"So I guess the big question is what the UNSUB wanted the victim to do?"

…

Reid was busy working on the map. It was covered with lines and dots.

Riley appeared. "Any useful conclusions Dr. Reid?"

He pointed to an area on the map. "The UNSUB'S preferred hunting ground is here and a possible location for the base of operation is here."

"That is still a lot of ground to cover," he said. "I just got off the phone with Garcia. All four victims at some point in the last five years were working remotely on a game called 'The Village Mystic.'"

"That is quite a lead Agent Riley," Reid said nervously. "What is the game about?"

"Please call me Riley," Riley said. "It is a medieval quest game seeking enlightenment through visiting various parts of the village. How familiar are you with mysticism?"

"It has multiple meanings according to which faith you believe in. It also refers to some form of altered state where enlightenment is achieved. It is sometimes done using a drug."

Riley nodded. "I think the game is the key to all this. Someone wants the game completed."

J.J. appeared. "So the UNSUB is having the victims work to complete the game while they're held captive?"

"Precisely J.J."

Reid looked at his map again. "All these parks are located next to different places for enlightenment. First a church, then a school, and then a library."

J.J. looked around for green spaces. "There is a park not far from City Hall."

Reid pointed to another one. "Another one next to the local congressman's office."

Riley pointed to a green space adjacent to the police station. "If he is escalating as quickly as we think he might try to make a statement and drop Mr. Hasting right here as an insult to us."

Rossi and Alves arrived.

"Have you found a location?" Rossi asked.

"A place to make a statement," Riley said. "We're going to Nolan Park to deliver the profile."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the support! By the way: Platinum Flats comes from the comic Birds of Prey.

Chapter Four:

An hour after Riley's press conference, the team caught a break. A neighbor noticed some suspicious activity going on in the garage next door. The person matched the profile. Leo Kane was a recently laid-off software developer who used to work on the Village Mystic. He became obsessed with the game after his mother died of cancer. His older brother was a vet in Fresno and recently reported a theft of the kind of drug used to kill the victims. Kane lived alone and aside from fixing computers he had no other source of income.

His house was at the end of a dead end street. Kane's car was parked in the driveway. There were many trees to their advantage and disadvantage. It was early seven o'clock when they arrived.

Riley ordered Alves and Reid to the front and he, J.J. and Rossi would take the back.

"I know you're all more experienced at this than me but I feel the urge to reiterate the need to brink Kane in alive if at all possible," Riley said before they left. "He is our key to understanding what motivates a man to murder for the sake of a game. Good luck and stay safe."

Alves and Reid reported the ground floor was empty and were dividing up to check the basement and the upper floor. Rossi and J.J. went to the garage while Riley noticed a light on in the tool shed.

Kane was waiting with a gun to Hastings' head. Riley leveled his.

"Drop the gun Mr. Kane," Riley said. "No one wants to hurt you unless absolutely necessary."

"They don't get it none of them do!" Kane yelled. "None of them have the key to enlightenment, none of them care. So I had to kill them when they couldn't show their worthiness."

"Enlighten me then, Mr. Kane, I'm a computer programmer."

"You're a suit with a gun! You have no understanding of enlightenment!"

"Would it help if I told you I know how to shut the internet down? I carry a gun now because it part of my path to enlightenment."

He stabbed Hastings in the head. "He couldn't so I can't let him live!"

"Then you won't live to continue your quest for enlightenment."

"It doesn't matter anymore!" Kane shouted. "I'll never get it!"

Before Kane could act Riley pulled the trigger. He shot him squarely in the chest. The gun fell from Kane's hand as he slumped to the ground.

Rossi arrived first followed by local police and EMTs for Hastings. Riley took a few steps back out of the shed.

"You okay boss?" Rossi said.

"Not now Dave, but I will be," he said catching his breath.

"That you're first kill?" Rossi said.

"There are different ways to get blood on one's hands Dave." Riley said. "Any loss of life is unfortunate however necessary to save others. Mr. Kane seemed like a man driven by grief to seek answers where none could be found."

The rest of the team arrived in the backyard. Riley addressed them:

"You all did a tremendous job today. There is paper work waiting for us though and I'd like that done tonight. As this case wrapped up at unusually rapid speed. I'd like to get on the jet by eight o'clock. Go home to where loved ones can be found as this is no paradise."

Riley walked out of the yard and the rest of the team followed him.

…

On the plane ride home J.J. talked with Will, Rossi and Alves played poker, and Riley and Reid played chess.

Rossi looked over as Reid and Riley played. The game was fairly even.

Reid's hands shook slightly and Riley smiled.

"Don't be afraid to beat your supervisor Dr. Reid."

"You can call me Spencer or Reid," he said as he took another piece.

"I'm the only one who gets to call him Spence," J.J. called out.

"Very well Reid, you are a superb player."

"So are you Riley," Reid said.

After another half hour Reid ultimately beat him. Riley clapped and they shook hands.

…

It was past midnight when they arrived back at the office. Waiting for them was Garcia and a woman with bright red hair.

Riley rushed to embrace her. "Grace," he said hugging her. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to welcome you here for your first case. Garcia filled me in. You did a good work!"

"Thank you Grace. Grace this is my team."

She shook hand with each of them and waved at Spencer.

Riley turned and addressed them again. "While I would have preferred another outcome we did save lives today and get justice for the victims. I am proud of every one of you. I do hope this is a sign of great things to come from our joint venture. Good night and I'll see you in the morning."

Grace took Riley's arm and walked down the hall. "Don't stay up too late profiling him," she called out.

The team turned and stared at each other. Rossi spoke up:

"Well he adores his wife," Rossi said. "That doesn't surprise me but it adds to the picture."

"Let's take this to the conference room," J.J. suggested.

"Are you sure we should be profiling him?" Reid asked.

"How many beats did his pulse go down when he saw Grace?" she asked as she followed Rossi up the stairs.

"Eleven, but that's not the point," Reid said but he followed her anyway.

Garcia pulled out a white board.

Alves took a seat. "Did you learn anything interesting from Mrs. Riley?"

"She made me do most of the talking," she said. "Asked about your work backgrounds. Admired my office. We discussed cats versus dogs and I found out she is a dog lover."

"Do they own a dog?" J.J. asked.

"A mutt named Linus."

Rossi began to write things down. "Dog lover. That is something to go on," Rossi said sarcastically.

"But his love for his wife is," J.J. said. "Riley seems so by the books but he let himself go the minute he saw Grace. Added with that comment about us profiling him, there are probably few secrets between them."

Rossi added: "Loves wife," and turned to Reid.

"He seems to relate the most to you."

Reid turned red. "He seems more scholarly than anything. Almost every question he asked me, he seemed to know the answer to."

J.J. grinned. "Are you saying he is smarter than you?"

Reid turned away. "How did he land a job of this height from cybercrimes? Did you find anything about that Garcia?"

"I am kind of nervous about going near any of his files," she said. "If he is half as good as he says he is I'll set off alarms before I breach the perimeter."

Rossi rolled his eyes. "So what did you bribe Monty into finding for you?"

"Someone in the last sixty days helped take down a plot to ground half the planes in LaGuardia as part of a terror attack."

"That's good way to get the authority needed for a job like this but why?" Rossi asked.

"I think that is the biggest question, we won't find an answer to," J.J. said. "Why is he here?"

…

Riley closed the laptop he had in bed with him. "I think someone there has figured out I stopped the LaGuardia terror attack."

Grace adjusted her pillows. "They do seem like an energetic and persistent group. Do you think you'll ever trust them?"

Riley put the laptop on the bedside table. "With my life, yes. With the mission I was given by the machine, I don't know."

"Did you kill the UNSUB? The news reports said it was an FBI agent."

"Yes," he said and turned off of the light. "I don't know how John did it all of those years or how anyone uses such a weapon regularly."

"You will too." Grace said and then paused. "Do you still miss him?"

"Him, Sameen, and Bear," Riley said. "Even Detective Fusco."

"But you know what I mean Harrold," Grace said. "That is why you chose his last alias."

"I do Grace," he said suddenly turning tearful.

Grace hugged him. "It will be okay Harrold."

"With you Grace, I know it will be," he said as turned to kiss her.

Endnote:

I think I broke a few hearts but spoilers for Person of Interest: I can get Harrold surviving a single gunshot, but Reese surviving after getting shot at multiple times before a rocket hitting him, that I can't believe. It also adds to the story of Harrold needing the team more for support.


End file.
